The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-15
SCHOOLS FuK StiVgS
TAUGHT BY SLAVE OWNERS
BEFORE THE WAR.
The Experiences Of 4 Teacher Who
Prepared Papils for the
Ministry.

be taught 10 read. To teach them
was, in fact, prohibited by law in
most of the States. 1t would be an
error to suppose, however, that none
of them were so taught. For the
master Of the plantation was, In many
WAYS, an absolute monarch-every
farm a sort of kingdom-and these
potentates chose TO judge for them
selves how strict should be their
obedience to general laws, how far
they would allow themselves to be
controlled by the Legislature in the
internal economy of their little prin-
cipalities,
Southern planters were in the habit
of having s1ch of their slaves taught
to read as they chose-law or no law.
l, myself, at the age Of twelve, was
principal of a school consisting OF
half a dozen Of mine and others
slaves; and some account OF my
methods may interest the teachers,
professors and other literal OF our
day.
The object of the school was the
highest possible. Indeed, it was not
n school, nor even a college; 1t was a
theological seminary. All my pupils
were preparing for the ministry.
To this day | remember with pride
how thoroughly unsectarian was my
instruction. | made no effort to
bull these slaves into accepting my
dogmas, as proof of which offer the
fact that whereas | was then,as now,
a sturdy upholder of Episcepalian-
ism, everyone OF my graduates turned
Baptist.
| held my school in the kitchen
after supper. Ny pupils sat in a
row on bench, one of their number
holding alott a spluttering torch of
fat pine. 1t gave strong if un-
steady light, but was subject to this
drawback: Being held near the
head of whosoever happened to be
reading, it is more than probable
that by overheating one lobe of the
brain the symmetrical development
of that organ was married.
That, however, did not much dis
turb us, seeing that neither they nor
were aware that We carried lobes
of any kind concealed about eur per-
soBs.
From time to time, too, as the
torch was passed up aud down the
line, drops Of burning tar fell upon
the hands, arms and necks of my
students, diverting their attention,
nay, causing them at times to dauce
up and down the floor. Even SO,
philosopher looking on might have
dinly perceived how fairly good and
i'll are distributed, on the whole, in
this best Of all possible worlds, for
the cook and her scullion, seeing
these young theologians caperiDg and
sucking the pitch from their rugged
fists, gave forth peal after peal OF
free and joyous laughter. so that
things averaged up pretty well, after
all.
This was not a free seminary--far
from it. My patrons were drawn from
among the most substantial citizens
on the plantation. They were able
to pay aud made them pay. No stu
dent OF divinity could keep seat on
that bench without bringing me at
the close of each month a dozen new
laid eggs, worth, at that time, 12!c;
so that eight months tuition cost ex-
actly 81. Prepayment was not in
sisted on. Yet | can not recall that
on this account | was ever the loser
by even an egg. AS | myself raised
chickens, | was very glad, too, when
hens were dilatory in their laying, to
let an account run over and receive
at the close Of two months young
pullet.
My wages we're sweet-laugh not
We professors pulled up with fat sala-
ries, ye school principals rolling in
luxury
My discipline was that of those
beuighted days. The rod then pre-.
vailed throughout the length and
breadth of the land, nor do | believe
my class would have valued my in
struction at an egg shell, even had !
abolished it. But such thought
could not have occurred to lad who
had not thought it strange when his
own teacher, ha wing asked him il ht
was ready with his Virgil, and he re
piled, mot yet, had received three
floggings. The first for not knowing
the Virgil, the two following (witi
intervals of rest for the teacher) io
not crying. So they stumbled alonl
through their tasks. | kept up tn
circulation in their backs and shoul
ders. Neither they nor | woulC
have heard without astonishmen
that there was any way of stimulat
ing diligence or quickening tn
brain. | suppose, however, that m
thrashings could not have been yer
severe, for | remember that the
were the occasion of great hilarity
This was especially the case whe
it came to the turn OF Jo
Nelson to reoite, Joe wa
a famous sufferer. He was IN
youngest pupil, a broad shoulders
carpenter, twenty years of age. ii
was exceedingly conceited and nj
little vain-conceited as to his il
tellectual gifts and vain of his Ease
nations with the plantation damsel
These qualities, however, did nj
lItNtuA ullll lIOnl DtluE u lhOlOukhl
good fellow, and he and | were de
voted friends as long as he live,
But my affection for him did NJ
save his back from single stroke {
the peach tree shoot upon which
tightened my grasp as soon as h
opened fire. My way was not to wa
till the close of a session and the
mete out the sum total of merite
castigstion. In my seminary justiC
did not limp. At every trip ther
came a rap. Punishment trod upo
the heels OF error.
What made il specially hard 0
poor Joe was that | could not see m
way TO allow him to stutter throug
reading lesson.
l thought it my duty to encouraG
him to discard this habit. al
afraid | erred, but | meant well ;
any rate livelier theological scho,
never adorned the earth.
A number of my pupils beeau